The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-01
PETROLEUM IN WILKES.
No Doubt About the Existence of Oil
at Anthony Shoals.


at Anthony Shoals.
From the athens (Ga) Banner VdtclttGn
A few days since a Banner Waterman
man met Mr.. Shubrick, and asked that he
give him history of the oil sensation in
Wilkes county.
Mr.. Shubrick seemed entirely confident
| that there was deposit of petroleum near
! the Anthony Shoals, on Broad river, and
SAYS that arrangements are now being made
| to test the matter. 1t will take some
| time to get everything ready, how
ever as the point where the oil
signs are found is in an out-of-the-
way place and distant from the railroad.
| Hence. before the we'll is started tanks will
be built to catch and preserve the oil, for
| otherwise it would be a total waste. SO
! confident are the owners of this property
that they will ''strike lie" that they will
have everything ready to save every gallon
of the flow as soon as it begins. 1t is esti-
mated that an outlay of $1,000 will be suf-
| ficient to assure the existence Of petroleum
| in paying quantities, if it is there. and be-
| fore fall the well will be sunk.
Mr.. Shubrick says the presence of oil was
discovered several years ago by Mr.. Cade,
while digging a mill race. The negroes in
turning over a large rock in the trench,
were driven from their work by the strong
| odor of petroleum that steamed from the
| the discovery, but he did not know what to
make of it, He collected handful of the
clay, which was saturated with glutinous
substance resembling gas tar, and sent it to
DIR. Bynum Bell, a very scientific man, of
Ebert county. DR.. Bell examined the clay
and told Mr. Cade that it certainly showed
| traces of petroleum, but in what
quantities he could not tell This clay,
when dried, would burn like finder when
match was stuck to it, and gave forth the odor
of kerosene. Such an impression did this
make on Mr.. Cade. that when he sold the
| place he insisted on inserting provision in
the deed reserving half interest in any oil
| discovery made at this particular spot. The
property then changed hands several times,
but none of the purchasers gave the oil
clause in the deed any thought. At length
Hon. Frank Colley and Mr.. Shubrick
bought the land as it had upon it
one of the finest water powers in the
State. In order to get the projected
Washington and Elberton railroad to pass
it, these gentlemen then gave way interests
in the property to number of prominent
gentlemen of Washington. 1t was only
few days since, in looking at the deed, that
the oil reservation clause was found, which
led to an investigation. A son of the elder
Cade, who reserved the oil, when asked
about it, said he had no faith in the thing,
and laughed at his father for insisting on
in the deed; that he would sell his interest in
the petroleum deposit for bottle of whisky,
and consider that he had made good trade.
But not in the slightest deferred by this
Messrs. Shubrick and Colley determined to
see what there was in it. Some of the rock
and mud were at once secured, dried and
powdered up 1t at once famed into blaze
when touched by match, and gave forth
strong smell of kerosene. AT different
places on the land, near the river bank, the
tar-like substance was found ooZing from
between cracks in the stone, and would
ignite into blaze on being touched with
lighted match. Several old people living
around there were asked about this discov-
cry, and they said it had been there
ever since they could remember;
that people used to come there and col
lect the tar in bottles and carry it off to
rub with as a cure for rheumatism, as it
was considered a great remedy. These gen
tlemen had shallow pits dug at different
places on the land, and the deeper they
went the stronger the petroleum signs be-
came 1t was after this that Mr.. Shubrick
went to Atlanta and interested with him
Col. Baum and Capt. E. P. Howell. These
gentlemen visited the spot in person, and
Col Baum who has had great deal to do
with oil wells, stated that there was I'M
doubleday petroleum deposit at this place,
but could not tell in what quantities it ex-
listed This could only be discovered by
boring. The signs, however, were unmis-
taxable and were sufficient to authorize an
expenditure for the purpose. Col. Baum
remarked to Capt. Howell that if they did
strike lie, he would give away the Con-
Stitution newspaper as something too small
for him.
Since the publication of this discovery,
Mr. Shubrick has received great many
letters from scientific men and capitalists up
aSl fOr. fIIr bpr
is nothing to prevent the existence of petro-
leum at this point. 1t is a mistaken idea
about oil being found in regions where coal
exists. 1t is true that it is formed among
coal, but like artesian water, is carried
distance of from 100 to 200 miles from the
coal field, and deposited in large natural
tanks in the earth, among rocks, from which
receptacle 1t is drawn. The coal fields in
Northern Georgia are just the proper dis
lance to make deposit of oil at this point
1t is impossible to overestimate the benefit
that a discovery of petroleum wonld be to
our section of the State 1t would not only
make every landowner around Anthony
Shoals millionaire, but enhance the value
of property for miles up and down Broad
river and all over this section of Georgia
for an oil field is not confined to any narrow
limits. A Madison or a Banks county
farmer is Just as apt to strike oil as a man
near Anthony Shoals. Weshall look to this
new discovery with great interest, and
eagerly watch its development. There is no
doubt about petroleum being secreted be-
meath the surface of the earth ON Broad
river, in Wilkes county, but the question to
he tested is, Will the deposit prove remn-
neratively large. This matter will soon be
tested. There is no reason why the Broad
river belt of country in Georgia should not
prove as great bonanza as the petroleum
regions of Pennsylvania.
We and !.
From Hdrper'S Magazine for July.